The Saudi government has reportedly opened the first liquor store since alcohol was banned in the early 1950s. The store, a modest facility next to a supermarket in the diplomatic district of the capital Riyadh, is exclusively for non-Muslim diplomats.
The opening of the landmark liquor store had been kept fairly quiet until sources within Saudi Arabia began leaking details to foreign media this week.Wednesday, Reuters report The operation was still in the planning stages, but on Thursday an anonymous diplomat said Said According to Voice of America News (VOA), liquor stores were already open for business.
A VOA diplomat likened the store to a “high-end duty-free store at a major international airport.” The inventory included liquor, wine, and two brands of beer.
“Employees at the store asked customers to show their diplomatic identification cards and keep their phones in their pouches while in the store. A mobile phone app allows purchases through a quota system. “It will be,” the diplomat reported.
Probably not a coincidence, Saudi media report On Wednesday, it announced that Saudi regulations on the sale of alcohol to foreign diplomats had been revised to address “improper exchange of alcoholic beverages for special items received by embassies of non-Islamic countries in Saudi Arabia.”
This new regulation “ensures that all diplomats in non-Islamic embassies have access to these special products and spirits within designated quotas and through a regulated process that prohibits illegal exchange activities.” It is said that the purpose is to “make it happen.”
This meant that foreign diplomats were bringing in excess moonshine, and according to VOA, some diplomats even brewed their own booze in their mansions, so Saudi Arabia He decided to open several small, strictly regulated liquor stores to meet his needs.
Alcohol is prohibited under Islamic law and is particularly frowned upon in Saudi Arabia. In 1951, Prince Mishali of Saudi Arabia was drunk. shot British Vice Consul Cyril Usman urged King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud to ban the sale of alcohol.
The current Saudi government, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), is working to modernize the kingdom and make it more welcoming to foreign investors and diplomats. The quiet little liquor store was clearly a means of satisfying the appetites of foreign visitors in a more formal and regulated manner, turning a blind eye while the liquor bottles were smuggled into Riyadh through diplomatic pouches. Old habits are replaced.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, on January 8, 2024 (Chuck Kennedy/State Department Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images) ).
of financial times (F.T.) Said On Wednesday, our correspondent confirmed the liquor store's operating guidelines, which VOA's diplomatic sources said meant that only registered non-Muslim diplomats would be allowed in the store, and that shopping would be done through a special smartphone app. He announced that he had been instructed to confirm that. , photography is prohibited on the premises.
“The guidelines set out a points system to limit the monthly alcohol sales of registered individuals, allowing up to 40 liters of spirits, 80 liters of wine and 240 liters of beer.” F.T. Said.
according to Dear F.T. Within Saudi Arabia, there is “speculation swirling” that MBS will further liberalize alcohol regulations, perhaps after using tightly controlled diplomat liquor stores to test fermented water. Possibilities include establishing similar facilities for Red Sea tourists and serving alcohol onboard Saudi Arabia's flashy new airline Riyadh Air. Domestic carrierscheduled to begin operation in 2025.
MBS and his Saudi Vision 2030 program to open up Saudi society while diversifying the economy away from oil includes ambitious efforts to attract foreign tourists. A $500 billion futuristic megacity neom is an example. It's hard to imagine that alcohol isn't sold somewhere in a multibillion-dollar, two-kilometre-long skyscraper.
Wednesday, NEOM planner announced Plans for a luxury tourist resort called Zardan, located on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. Zardan is home to three of his luxury hotels, a beautiful nature reserve, and numerous exciting activities.
MBS in June promised In addition to having more than 30 times the population of New York City, NEOM will “compete with Miami in entertainment, culture, sports, and retail.” Miami-Dade is not a dry county.
